Hide and Seek
by see leah scream
Summary: Sixteen year old Erin was kidnapped. However, her two dense kidnappers are the least of her worries when there's robots trying to take over the world. - This story is currently being rewritten. -
1. prologue

Hide and Seek  
>Prologue<p>

* * *

><p>Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers; I'm just prostituting it for my sick amusement.<p>

Summary: Sixteen year old Erin was kidnapped. However, her two dense kidnappers are the least of her worries, when there's robots trying to take over the world. _Great_.

Warning: Violence and other oddities. Takes place during DotM, so there's going to be spoilers

* * *

><p>Three days ago, Erin Samson had been minding her own business, buying a bottle of mineral water when two masked men burst into the store and began the oddest hold up scene she'd ever seen. She had watched them argue with the man behind the counter and each other for almost five minutes, before they took notice to her. Well, one noticed her and jabbed his dense companion in the ribs, who looked over at her. It was like a staring contest for a few seconds, then the larger man had grabbed her and held a gun to her head.<p>

He demanded the man give them all the money and if he didn't, he would shoot her in the temple. When reminded that murder would be added onto their changes, the two began frustrated, Erin imagined, and took off out of the store. However, all would be good, if they hadn't forgotten to release the girl they were using as leverage. Upon realising this, the robbers had already made it to the car and - surprise, surprise - one had taken off his ski mask. Their captive knows not what happened next, only that they must have knocked her out - probably with the pistol that they had threatened her with.

She only awoke hours later, probably hours anyway, in a small dark room. Obviously, she'd been gagged and tied up, duck tape wrapped around her chest that kept her arms tightly at her sides, and another thick ribbon of the tape around her ankles and knees. She thanked whatever holy entity that convinced her to wear pants and a sweatshirt that day. Needless to say, she hadn't been abandoned outside of the store and with a quick listen of the area

"What are we gonna do with her," a familiar voice questioned in panic. "We can't just keep her here!"

"Stuff it," another voice snapped, the larger kidnapper if she remembered their voices right. "I've got a plan!"

Oh yes, he had a plan. The door to her dark room was ripped open and the two masked men hovered over her. They demanded that she be a prisoner until her father paid money. However, the larger kidnapper had forgotten the number and in a fit of rage, removed his mask whilst the door was open. She realised how he knew who her father was and how they knew her name, which they used during their demands. This man knew her father, worked with him in his company, but had been fired a few weeks before.

As she stared at him, all the while he was cursing his own stupidity, she idly wondered if his lack of knowledge was the reason for his firing.

"Number now," he glowered at her in his rage.

The other, a wee bit smarter than the other, mumbled, "She can't take with the gag on."

"Take it off 'er," the man snarled at the other, who indeed did take the gag off the girl. "Now, the number!"

"Bugger off," she replied as soon as she was able. "I'm not doing shite for you!"

With a flash of metal, there was something cold pressed against her forehead. She glanced up and took notice to the gun - from the store - ready to shoot. "Now, Erin!"

"I said, bugger off," she attempted to remain strong, slowly losing the bite in her tone. "You shoot me, you won't get your money and you'll get a murder-"

The gag was placed back into her mouth and the door slammed, the man began to rage outside. She could hear him cursing and shouting, the other man attempting to figure something that they could do out. However, for the next three days, it was all the same; left out of her room to eat, which was mainly canned goods, and go to the bathroom. She would only see or hear from them when they would try to get the number off of her, or get any sort of information at all. She never spoke what they wanted; they weren't going to use her.

It was frustrating for both parties; they just wanted the money, she just wanted to go home. Not to mention, she had learned the second day that the apartment - or whatever it was, for Erin never saw enough of it to truly know - wasn't even the dense kidnappers.

It would go on like this until the third day - the door opened when neither had left or planned to, and there were the sounds of movement, then "Who the fuck are you" was heard. An echoing sound of shifting metal came, she could hear screaming and distant voices - this wasn't good at all. What was worse was the sound of footsteps heading right for her dark domain.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thoughts? Considers? Constructive Criticism? It should also be noted that this probably will not be a romance fic.


	2. Chapter 1

Hide and Seek  
>Chapter 1<p>

* * *

><p>Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers; I'm just prostituting it for my sick amusement.<p>

Summary: Sixteen year old Erin was kidnapped. However, her two dense kidnappers are the least of her worries, when there's robots trying to take over the world. _Great_.

Warning: Violence and other oddities. Takes place during DotM, so there's going to be spoilers

* * *

><p>Light poured into the closet, Erin turned her head and snapped her eyes shut, trying to block it out. She heard movement, the sound of fabric and a man - who's voice she didn't know - telling someone to get rid of 'them'. She cracked open one eye, as she attempted to ignore an on-coming headache, to see a strange man reaching for a hanger, which was far above her head. She released a muffled scream to get his attention, the sudden noise did just that and the stranger glanced down.<p>

"... What do we have here," he muttered and reached down, abandoning his expensive jacket. His hand clamped down on her shoulder and soon she was on her feet, wobbly but on them. He stared for a moment, with narrowed eyes, before using his other hand to free her from her gag. "Wh-"

"My name is Erin Samson, those men they kidnapped me," she blunted out without a care to the world, finally happy to see anyone other then her dense captors. She ignored the man's surprised expression and rambled off her address and phone number, tears streaming down her cheeks. She told him whom her father was, what had happened, and begged him to help. When the man didn't speak, she became nervous; "Help me, please."

There was a noise behind him; he flinched before shoving her back down. There was a hissing noise and a female's voice, the man just smiled politely at her before leaning her against the wall, closing the door to the closet after exiting it. He left her. She stood wobbly and stared through the darkness at the door, her hands at her sides trembled. She was still locked away, still a captive, and there was nothing that she could do about it.

It was only minutes, although it felt like hours, later when the door opened again. She flinched at the light but soon she found herself back on the floor, the stranger cutting - and unwrapping - the tape from her legs and torso. She watched him - half afraid, half relieved - and soon her binds were discarded in a corner. She tried to smile, stretching, "Thanks."

"Not to worry," the man replied charmingly. Almost too charming for her liking, however, she could not dwell on it as he continued his well-mannered speech. "Let's get you something to drink and eat; you can meet my friends while I try and get a hold of your parents? The police even."

"What about those men," she whispered as he took her hand, turning to lead her out.

"You don't have to worry about them any more."

There was something about this man, something that unnerved her. He was too well mannered, too charming with little smiles of reassurance. Still, she allowed him to walk her out with slow steps. To her surprise, a young blond woman, who looked distressed and nervous, greeted her. Just as she was to question the female, she stepped in something wet that soaked through her sock and caused her to curse. She looked down and saw red - sight following a trail and a scream echoing through the stilled air.

On the floor in the puddle of blood, she saw her two captors. The two men rested awkwardly on the floor, crimson seeping through their shirts and coating the tiled area. She flung herself backwards, trying to pull herself from the grasp of the stranger and screaming at the top of her lungs whilst staring at the woman. Her eyes stung with tears, she didn't care so much that it was them but she'd never seen death before - the glazed over eyes, the ashen skin, it was frightening for the teenager.

"I told you to get rid of them," the man barked in the direction of the living area, as he tried to keep the girl in his grasp. She was almost away when the man spoke again, harsher, "Did you hear me?"

Her struggle didn't last long when that metallic noise echoed once more; she whipped her head around to catch a glimpse of the shifting of a television. However, it wasn't a television for long, a large metal bird had taken its place and flew at the humans. She released another horrified scream and grasped the stranger to protect herself. Tears poured from her eyes, she began to shout, "Oh my god! What the bugger is that? We have to get out of-"

"I told you that you make a mess, you clean it up," the stranger barked at the bird, catching the girl off guard but she was still too frightened to release him from her sobbing clutches. The alien cackled as he flew into the closet and landing on a rack. It's red optics glowed through the darkness, the girl shrieked and pushed away from the stranger, who only grabbed her wrist. "You even terrified our new friend."

"Our," the creature cooed with a sinister tone. "Mine too, yes?"

Erin struggled against the man, giving the woman a fearful look through tears. The female turned her head away and closed her eyes, leaving the girl to fight alone. The stranger pulled her forward as if to offer her to the alien that lurked in the darkness, she released a sob with earned her a glare from the man before he spoke; "Yours too. Matter of fact, I think she would make a pleasant new toy for you."

"What," she gasped and tugged back on her arm. "Leave me go!"

"I think not," the bird spoke icily. With a swoosh of air; the alien had wrapped itself around her shoulders. The poor girl shrieked and used her free hand to attempt to push the creature away from her body. She couldn't get the beast off of her; it only wrapped itself around her tighter, all the while hissing and growling at her. "Now, now, it's all right, little insect. This is going to be fun, in more ways than one."

"Let her go," a woman's voice shouted - the blond female beginning forward. Startled by her sudden interest, not to mention the slower oxygen intake, Erin collapsed onto the floor, the stranger practically dangling. The woman spoke again, "Dylan, tell it to leave her go!"

"You know I can't do that, Duchess," the man, Dylan, replied smoothly while releasing her. He tilted his head, watching her struggling against the metal cretin. He nearly smirked as he turned, gaze turning out the window. "She's his now."

Mind becoming fuzzy, she heard the woman shouting something at the man and him replying with a smug tone. Her eyes became unfocused and darkness dancing in the corner of her sight. She wanted to scream and fight but she was feeling too light-headed, too sick. Soon, she could no longer move and her eyes fluttered closed one last time. No more sound, no visionary... just dark, loneliness just like her previous dungeon.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thoughts? Considers? Constructive Criticism?

As well, I didn't know a review could make my day so much better. It's weird, but still, thanks for it! Hope this chapter doesn't let you down!


	3. Chapter 2

Hide and Seek  
>Chapter 2<p>

* * *

><p>Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers; I'm just prostituting it for my sick amusement.<p>

Summary: Sixteen year old Erin was kidnapped. However, her two dense kidnappers are the least of her worries, when there's robots trying to take over the world. _Great_.

Warning: Violence and other oddities. Takes place during DotM, so there's going to be spoilers

* * *

><p>The building gave a mighty shake; the form of the teenager fell from the comfortable couch that they had seated her on to the floor. She gave a yelp as the impact awoken her from her strangle induced slumber. She sat up quickly; ignoring the light headed feeling that followed, and gave the room a quick look around. The two strangers - the blond and that Dylan character - sat on opposite sides of the room, the male closer to her then the female. She began to crawl backwards, knowing full well not to stand, and switched her gaze to and from the pair.<p>

"Oh look, Carly, _sleep beauty_ has awoken," Dylan called out while giving that all-too-charming smile. She sincerely hated that expression; it made her trust him the first time around and now it was just making her ill. "Would you like anything to eat or drink?"

"Bugger off," she cried out shying away from the man, and with good reason. He was dangerous, his pet bird was dangerous - this wasn't right. Thinking of her previous attacker, she glared, "Where's the fucking _bird_?"

"Laserbeak," he seemed to question, although know what the girl was talking about. "He's just getting some recharge, after all, he's going to need that for later."

"What the Hell was that thing," she inquired in a shaken tone.

"A _client_ of mine," he answered nonchalantly. "I inherited him from my father. Be happy you didn't end up like your friends over there."

Refusing to look at the corpses again, she closed her eyes to gather her thoughts. "I want to go home. Let me go home, _please_. It's been three days since I was brought here, my father-"

"You're not going anywhere."

"What," she whispered, startled. She couldn't wrap her head around it; she went from being held captive by two dense men to being held against her will by a man and his robotic bird. This was worse than one of those silly novels that she read back at home! "You can't keep me here."

"I'm not keep you here... _they_ are," he replied whilst jabbing a finger over his shoulder. "Trust me, _Princess_, here is the safest place for you."

Since her first time waking up, she took a moment to look out the large windows that the man pointed to her. She gasped at the sight of the ruined city; it almost appeared like those horrifying films of apocalypses. Large ships - or so they seemed - flew viciously through the skies, she watched in horror as they shot and caused more destruction in their wake. She could hear screams, some human and others inhuman, and she couldn't stop her expression from twisting and sobs to wreck her small frame.

"Oh my god," she gasped while clamping a hand over her lips, muffling her sobs. She couldn't believe her eyes; she wanted to believe this was some sort of dream. She wanted to believe that this all - the bird, the ruins, the situation in general - was nothing but a dream from her overly active imagination. "What is going on?"

"They're taking over, but don't worry yourself, you're safe here with me," he muttered while taking a sip from the glass in his hand. He glanced from the younger female to the older one, He then motioned to her with his hand, barely catching the blonde's attention, and spoke: "Duchess, why don't you take our new friend into the back-room, get her a change of clothes and a glass of wine. This is a special occasion and I would like to have all those attending looking their best."

"My name isn't _Duchess_, it's Carly; start using it," the woman scowled as she stood. After another glare at the man, Carly made her way across the room and towards the younger female's direction. She wasn't angry or upset when she reached for the child and she flinched away from her offered hand. It was understandable, she even took the time to lean down and shift closer to her slowly - as if she had been a wild animal instead of a frightened teenager. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you."

Erin wanted to shout at the woman. She wanted to ask her why she should even trust her, because her friend on the couch certainly was psychotic, why not her too? However, there was something about this woman. Something about her aura and expression, she had a feeling deep within her very being that Carly could be trusted. With that in mind, the younger female lifted a shaken hand and grasped the outstretched one.

"That's a girl," Carly smiled slightly and lifted her to her feet. She wrapped a protective, almost sisterly, arm around her middle and led the younger girl off. Erin was sure she was being led to the back-room that was spoke about. On the way, the woman grabbed a glass of wine - crimson in colour - and she weaved them both carefully through the complex.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thoughts? Considers? Constructive Criticism?

I would like to take the time to thank everyone for the review, the favourites, and the alerts. Remember to review, let me know what you think of how this is going. Maybe even hint at something that you would like to see. :)


	4. Chapter 3

Hide and Seek  
>Chapter 3<p>

* * *

><p>Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers; I'm just prostituting it for my sick amusement.<p>

Summary: Sixteen year old Erin was kidnapped. However, her two dense kidnappers are the least of her worries, when there's robots trying to take over the world. _Great_.

Warning: Violence and other oddities. Takes place during DotM, so there's going to be spoilers.

* * *

><p>Curled up on the comfortable bed, she found herself unable to care about what the blond woman was doing. Images of the death and destruction burnt into her mind, she absently observed Carly digging through the closet, listening as she mumbled to herself about the clothing selection or maybe even Dylan's actions. It wasn't her place to question and she didn't care, she just lied there and watched. With no conversation, those images in her mind, Erin was left wondering if her father was even alive - if even her friends from school were as well.<p>

Unnerved by those thoughts, the teenager began to tremble as realisation it her. She felt the tears burning at her eyes once more and then there was a shift next to her on the bed. Idly, she noted that the woman was no longer at the closet and turned her gaze to the side. The blond was now seated next to her, a long baby blue evening dress clasped in her right hand. Glancing to it and then back to Carly multiple times, Erin couldn't find a single thing she wanted to say and it seemed the older female noticed.

"Your name is Erin, right," she questioned whilst laying the gown down next to younger female. "I know you're scared because.. well, I am too."

Erin stared at her through blurred vision, trembling, "You are?"

"Yeah, who wouldn't be," she smiled and stood up slowly, making certain not to startle the already frightened child. "It's silly though, because we're going to be saved. My boyfriend is going to come for us, and he's going to bring his car - we'll be al lright."

"His car," the teen nearly snapped - losing her calm. "What the Hell is a car going to do to save us? Have you even looked outside? What-"

"Trust me," she replied while clamping a hand over her mouth, glancing over at the door for a moment. "Trust me and keep your voice down. If they hear us talking about something other than these obnoxious dresses, who knows what the bastard's clients will do."

There was something about the way she said clients that caused fear to strike the teen again. Still, she willed herself calm and leaned back, removing herself from the hand that covered her mouth. "What is going on," she asked, coming to the idea that this woman knew the answer. "What happened to the city? What was that... thing?"

"That thing is one of them and they are taking over the world, or at least, are going to try to," Carly answered without a second thought. When she noticed the questions swimming in the teenager's misty eyes, she gave a forced smile and clasped a hand on her shoulder. "They're Decepticons. Pretty much the giant alien robot bad guys, so this is pretty much what they do. You know, kill all humans and take over the world... or something."

"Are you mad," she countered, voice cracking and giving away her fear and confusion. "Giant alien robots? I'm sorry, Carly, but you sound like you're one card short of a full deck!"

"You saw one. You saw him and you know that it wasn't man-made," she replied. "You know that wasn't from this world. You damn well know it in your soul."

"How can you be so... calm when you know we're going to die," she whimpered. "We're so buggered."

"We're not," she answered as she shifted and grabbed the dress, tossing it to the girl. "My boyfriend and his car, even his friends, are the good robots and they're going to save us. I don't care what Dylan says, they're alive and they're going to come for us. We're going to get out here, I promise, Erin."

"How," she inquired in a meek tone.

"We play by Dylan's rules for now," she stated calmly and glanced towards the door, as if checking to make certain that no one was there. Once she had cleared the room, she gave a small smile: "I want you to get dressed, but keep your jeans on. The dress is long enough to hide them because we might be playing by Dylan's rules but we're going to be rebelling just a bit."

The teen grabbed her outfit, staring confused at the older female. "What do you mean?"

"Just do as I say," the blond commanded whilst moving to the night stand. She grabbed the teenager's glass of wine off of it, then shoved it at her gently. She watched as the younger took the offer carefully. "Don't forget to drink this, it will calm your nerves, all right?"

"Yeah," she whispered and eyed the wine. "I think this is very stupid but... I can do it."

"That's a good girl," Carly nodded and walked over to the door. "I'll be right outside. When you're done, or if anything goes wrong, yell for me."

Erin made a noise of agreement as she watched the blond exit the room, and she placed the glass on the night stand once more. She nabbed the dress from the bed with a fluid motion and quickly discarded her filthy top, replacing it with the long gown. The sounds that echoed outside of the building grew louder, she eyed the wine and wondered if it would really work. Turning to a mirror that was attached to the wall, she admired herself for the first time in a long while. She knelt down and tugged up the dress, then rolled up her pant legs in a better attempt at hiding them.

After finishing, she glanced up to see something moving on the other side of the curtains in the mirrors surface. She stared - too afraid to do much else - and observed the large shadow engulfing the light coloured fabric. Though the slight open area, she could see it - something large, something swaying. She shifted and glanced at the door, debating on whether or not to scream for Carly, or if it was too dangerous. With one last look at the mirror, her choices disappeared as an ear-piercing scream echoed at the sight of a large, glowing red orb. She spun around - still shrieking - and pressed her back against the mirror, staring in horror as the door opened.

"Erin," the blond's voice echoed whilst she grabbed the girl's arm. "What's wrong?"

"Monster," she shrieked as she pointed at the large optic that peered in on them. The woman grabbed her and engulfed her in an embrace, the teenager sobbed as her saviour was trying to lead her away: "Carly, Carly, Car-"

"It's okay," she cooed while dragging the girl from the room. "Everything is going to be okay. Don't be afraid, don't look at it."

Erin just cried as she attached herself to the blond, fingers grasping the white dress of the older female. There was no stopping the tears, she realised as she heard the door to the room close behind them, after their escape. Carly must have figured it out as well, since she was currently whispering reassuring words into her ear - that her boyfriend was coming, telling her that the good robots would take care of everything, and that they would make it out alive. In that moment, the teenager wondered, through her very fear, which the elder was trying to comfort; her or herself.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thoughts? Considers? Constructive Criticism?

I honestly didn't think I would be updating this as much as I had. I actually love writing this and I'm not even sure why, it's really my first chapter-fic. I really do hope you guys are enjoying the read as much as I am the writing. The next chapter is going to have a bit of insanity, I can promise that.


	5. Chapter 4

Hide and Seek  
>Chapter 4<p>

* * *

><p>Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers; I'm just prostituting it for my sick amusement.<p>

Warning: Violence and other oddities. Takes place during DotM, so there's going to be spoilers.

* * *

><p>By the time she'd made it to the couch, she'd cried herself numb - or maybe it was whatever Carly was slipping into her drink. She'd seen the woman dropping some sort of pill into the glass, then filling it up with wine. She still drank it and prayed it would help, surprisingly; some sort of entity was listening. There were no more thoughts of death, of the alien robots, of her kidnappers and current captives. She was comfortable where she was and what she was doing - the blond's magical pills were a miracle worker.<p>

Like now, she lied on the couch and stared blankly over at the other two humans. Her hand dangled over the edge, she took to brushing her fingertips over the bird that had came out of hiding and came to rest at her side. It didn't say a word, to her surprise, and seemed content with the touches and listening to the other humans argue. Even more odd, she didn't care anymore about what the blond was screaming about and what the man was smugly replying with. She just wished they would shut up so she could peacefully drown in the numb feeling while it lasted.

She shifted her weight and used her other hand - the one that wasn't caressing the robot's helm - to reach for and grab the glass of wine that was half filled still. As she lifted it, she took a glance and cast a glance at the bird. Its wings were wrapped around its body and the glow from its eyes was gone. She only knew it was even alive - if she could call it that - because its systems were humming. She felt a stir within her and she quickly placed the glass to her lips, taking a long swallow of the liquid in an attempt to number herself out once more.

"That's enough," the man snapped. Startled by the words, the teen turned her attention to him, just to see if he was speaking to her. Fortunately, he was looking directly at the blond, who was glaring darkly at him. "They wouldn't know what was going on and they certainly wouldn't get a thrill from her! Hell, Duchess, they're not even human!"

"My name is Carly. That's not even the point to the problem, Dylan, it's just not right," she all but ranted while waving her hands around. Erin observed the situation silently, sipping at her wine and petting the seemingly slumbering robot. "They shouldn't be watching her change!"

The teenager frowned at them, remembering what had happened and feelings of fear began to return. She cast another glance back at the robot next to her, and only then did she notice its eyes had lit up. It seemed to be listening closely to the pair of humans across the room. Startled, she stopped petting it and quickly found herself panicking instead of being numb. Backing off of the creature, she watched as it lifted its head and twisted it at a disgusting angle.

"Which one," it spoke to them in a scratchy tone.

This seemed to startle the two others; Carly jumped a bit and Dylan froze in his spot. Erin didn't know what exactly to do either; she just brought her knees to her chest and backed herself into the corner of the couch. She was a bit surprised when Dylan recovered first and spoke, voice uncertain and less smug than before: "They don't know, all they saw was the eye."

"That's just too bad," the creature cooed, jumping up on the couch and seeming to grin when she whimpered.

Dylan flinched, "Why?"

"Because only I can play with my toy," the bird replied with a cackle. It stood tall and moved closer to its human pet, he seemed pleased when she pulled herself into a tighter ball in a sad attempt to keep away from him. He stretched out his long neck, joints clicking and scraping, and he spoke in an unusual tone, "If they want one, they should go find one!"

"She not a pet," Carly's voice echoed as she bound to her feet, racing to the girl's side. Clasping her hand on the teen's arm, she tried to comfort her while glaring daggers at the alien. The younger female could hear the creature hiss - which she flinched about - and her companion pulled her closer. "Get away, you're scaring-"

"Insect," a metallic voice bellowed from the window area. It startled the youngest human; she whipped her attention in the direction and screamed. The giant helm - red eyes glowing angrily - snarled at the sound, "Shut that beast that!"

"Yes, master," Laserbeak cooed as he lunged forward and wrapped his slender form around hers. The screaming halted when a wing slipped over her lips, he beamed and twisted his neck, glancing at his leader's nod of approval.

"Insect," he sneered whilst turning to Dylan. "Starscream informed me of your new addition; we are not here to collect strays, so I am left wondering what an informant is doing with a pet?"

Dylan - while flinching under the harsh stare - answered, "She was here when we arrived."

"And what is she still doing alive?"

"She belongs to me," Laserbeak answered for the human. He could feel her trembling through his armour, causing the bird to cackle. "My pet!"

Snorting, the Decepticon leader stepped back, "I see. I suppose you will dispose of it when you are finished?"

Erin closed her eyes tightly; they were going to kill her once the bird was bored of her. She was going die. She trembled and her eyes burnt with tears, fear filling her every thought. The voices - the giant's and the smaller creature's - seemed to be so distant now, as she fell into realisation of the situation in its entirety. She willed this to be a bad dream, she wished nothing more then to be home or at least in the darkness of the closet. Anything was better than this - anything was better than death.

The removal of the wing broke her out of her terrifying thoughts, she cracked open an eye to see the bird retreating to the window. She watched through blurred sight as it disappeared along with the giant - where to, she didn't know or care. A hand on her shoulder startled her, she quickly whipped her around to see Carly. The older female gave a meek smile before the teen flung herself at the blond, clinging once more and sobbing.

"It's okay," the woman reassured her. "Everything is going to be fine. Sam will come and save us, I promise."

Silently, Erin disagreed. There was no saving a dead girl.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thoughts? Considers? Constructive Criticism?

First off, I would like to apologise for the lateness of this chapter and how off track it seems. My brain slowly died for some reason or after, not to mention, I have a party to plan - randomly, might I add - so other things are on my mind. It isn't as crazy I would have liked it, but I was going for that 'shit, I am so dead' feeling. Did it come through?

Anyway...

Here we go, things are going to start picking up soon, probably within the next chapter or two. I'm actually excited about the next chapter, because, if everything goes according to plan, it'll be the chapter that just might make your skin crawl. ;D

Also, I am currently looking for a good strong beta reader. If you are interested, drop me a message. :)


	6. Chapter 5

Hide and Seek  
>Chapter 5<p>

* * *

><p>Warning: Violence and other oddities. Takes place during DotM, so there's going to be spoilers.<p>

* * *

><p>Glazed over eyes stared up at her, Erin hovered over the corpses of her previous captors as if to observe them in their unnatural angles. She stayed clear of the drying blood, making sure not to smear it on the baby blue colour of her dress, and just glanced over them. Ashen skin was already showing signs of insects coming to help decompose it, she noted how the muscles were frozen in place and the faces twisted in horror forever.<p>

She choked back vomit that burnt at her throat and took a shaken breath. She wondered morbidly if this was how she was going to die and if she too would lay on a floor to rot. She shuttered at the thought of worms and flies crawling over her icy, dead flesh and wished she'd just stayed on the other side of the flat with Carly. However, she could not, she had to come over and see a preview of her future when the robotic bird grew tired of her.

Tilting her head back, she fought against the tears that threatened to spill over and stream down her cheeks. She tried to chase the thoughts away with what Carly had been telling her - hints of their big plans, of their rebellion against Dylan. She told her about the good robots, told her if they couldn't escape together, to go to the giants with blue eyes. Although that only reminded her of her fate - she wouldn't escape this Hell, she would stay and end up like them. A violent, painful death and then just abandoned to never return home again; that was her future.

"Damn," Dylan cursed and she felt his hand wrapping around her arm, pulling her away from the view. "I thought I told that damn thing to clean up his mess!"

"Obviously he doesn't listen to you," Carly responded with a sharp tone, which ultimately earned her a glare. "Why don't you find someone else to do it?"

"Like you?"

"Erin, why don't you go into one of the other rooms, whilst Dylan figures out what to do with decomposing corpses that are beginning to stink up the place."

Knowing full well to leave the situation alone, the teenager pulled herself from the man's grasp and began a zombie-like advance towards the doors to the bedroom. She could already hear the bickering of the two and honestly was growing tired of the whole situation. Once at the room, she opened the door and stepped inside, closing it tightly behind her. She leaned against and slid down it, bringing her knees to her chest in hopes that everything would just disappear. That's all she wanted; the bodies, the robots, Dylan, Carly, all of it to just vanish when she stepped back into the main room.

However, never the stupid girl, she knew full well that it wouldn't.

Resting her chin on her knees, she stared at the large window and seemed to wait for the past to begin again. She almost wished that the eye would return and offer her freedom from all of this - even if it was death. She would embrace it no matter what, but it didn't make its presence known and she was left to sit in the room while the two adults argued in the main room. It reminded her of her home; her parents arguing and her mother's demands for her to leave the general area. It was a sickening thought and soon she found herself seated on the bed.

She didn't want to compare her parent to the two adults in the main room, or even think about them in general at this very moment. As much as she hated her mother and her ways, she couldn't help but worry equally about her as well. She knew that this was not her home town, thanks to one of Carly's ramblings, and also knew that these monsters would not just attack one area. She didn't want anything to happen to them, just because in her normal teenage nature, she didn't enjoy them as much as she had when she was a mere child, didn't mean that she wanted them to become corpses as well.

Not like how she was going to be.

She barely noted that she had curled up on the mattress and began trembling. Images of rotting flesh and insects flashed through her mind, but not of her captors. It was of her; no longer a decent looking female and now a carcass to attract flies and maggots after a long, agony filled death by the claws of a demon that not even a nightmare could produce. She whimpered at the thought and tucked into herself tighter, more frightened and feeling more alone then ever.

As tears and sobs escaped, she was far too busy with her thoughts to notice that she currently had a new arrival. She was startled when cold metal wrapped around her arm, talons piercing flesh and blood prickling at the new wound. She turned and screamed, kicking at the beast that was hovering over her and had her in its grasp. "No," she yelped and gave a swift kick to its head. "Let me go!"

"Calm down," the metallic creature hissed uncharacteristically. It tightened its grip causing her to release another scream, her life fluids beginning to stain its claws. "I do not want to kill you, yet."

"Oh God," she whimpered as she turned her head away from it, forcing back the vomit that burnt at her throat. "Please-!"

"My superiors want me to slaughter you," it all but hummed at her, releasing her arm. It leaned down and began to nuzzle its beak against her would, static filled cackles echoing through the air at her gasp of both pain and fear. "Don't worry," it added carelessly, "I like you. You are one of my favourites because unlike my other pets were, you are afraid and you show it. You beg and plead, you are the example of why humanity is fun to torment. I'm going to keep you."

"Oh God," she whispered with her voice cracking. "Please, just let go. Leave me alone, for the love of God, just leave me alone."

"Why would I do that," it questioned with gleaming red orbs staring at her, observing the tears that flowed down her cheeks. "You're just too much fun."

"Why me? Why didn't you kill me before? Why are you doing this?"

"Why not," it echoed as its frame seemed to wrap around her, wings spreading out threateningly. "I already answered those silly questions, human. Do not make me repeat myself."

"Please," she whimpered as its wings slowly wrapped around both of them. She sobbed at the feel of the cold metal encasing her and she almost begged for it to kill her, that is until the beast seemed to perk and loosen its grip on her. She watched through blurred eyes as it turned its head almost completely around, staring at the door as if it was waiting for it to burst open. "Wh-"

"We have a guest coming," the creature cooed before unwrapping itself from around her completely. It hopped from the bed and scurried over to the door, peering out of the small opening that it used to enter. "I can sense an insect coming this way."

"What," she whispered, remembering Carly's boyfriend and her ramblings about him coming to save them.

"Not matter," it seemed to grin as it turned its head in her direction. "You are to stay here until I get back; I cannot have some silly human ruining my fun."

She flinched as it spoke, the tone almost sing-a-long like yet having an undertone of darkness. She closed her eyes and turned her head, knowing full well that this beast would kill their only chance of escape and there was nothing she could do. She stood no chance against it, no one did she was sure, and all there was to do was sit and wait for the end. Wait to become a maggot filled until she was left to rot away on the floor of this flat. Wait until it was done with her, then it would kill her - slow and painfully, she imagined.

There was no bright future of finishing school and going on to be a nurse or lawyer. There was only one opinion left; one cold and dark, one of blood stained flesh and clothes, maggots and flies. That was all the future would hold for her. It wasn't just her future either, it was Carly's boyfriend's as well, because she was certain nothing got past her new captor.

No, she couldn't allow that to happen because Carly wasn't supposed to become a corpse like her.

By the time she had bound to her feet, the beast had already exited and she was left scrambling towards the door. She still managed to get to the door and peer through the little opening, only to see a young male with a gun. She gasped and flung open the door, startling all those outside as she stumbled out to the main room. Sam nearly spun and shot her, she could tell by the look on his face, but was stopped by the sound of the metal sliding into place.

"Erin," Carly's voice echoed and snapped her out of a retreat, due to the sound. "Run!"

There was no time to think about what to do, the bird was already swooping down at her so Erin did the only thing she knew she could do. She ran for the flat's door and was soon pulling it open, then escaping the room. She could hear the commotion inside but did not retreat back to help, remembering what Carly had told her before, and continued to run down the long hall. She tripped and stumbled over corpses that lied on the floor, trying not to look at faces or think about them. Now was not the time for that.

Her mind was foggy, she didn't know how long she ran until her feet began to hurt, thanks to not having shoes on and the hard concrete of the side-walk. She didn't know where she was, nothing looked familiar and probably wouldn't, even if it wasn't on fire and decaying away before her very eyes. Her hands trembled as she turned into an alley to hide from the beasts of the skies and the chaos that lurked. Ducking behind a few filthy garbage cans, she slammed her back against the wall of one of the buildings.

Her knees were drew to her chest, she whimpered as she closed her eyes and covered her ears, trying to drown out everything around her. She knew she still wasn't safe but she was tired, alone, frightened. She didn't know what to do now, the world around her was falling apart and she could only hide from it for the time being. She just wanted to hide here until this was all over, until the world either ended or was saved. Tears stained her cheeks as she began to rock back and forth, praying to any God that would listen for this all to be a nightmare and for her to wake up now.

However, she knew this wasn't a nightmare and that she couldn't stay here until it was all over. The reason being was the sound of metal against metal just outside of her hideout. She closed her eyes tighter and bit back a sob, trying to calm herself enough to at least get a look. And when she did, she saw something that brought back Carly's gentle instructions; _"Look for the giants with blue eyes"_. In the middle of a battle with a crimson eyed beast, a brightly coloured robot shoved a hooked weapon through its chest and pulled back, just enough where she saw a flash of azure.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thoughts? Considers? Constructive Criticism?

I do apologise for any mistakes and for taking so long to update this. This chapter was a pain to write and even now it feels a bit rushed, however, it's for a good reason. I felt bored with keeping the story in the flat and allowing her to wallow in self-pity all the time, so I brought in Sam to save the day and allowing her to escape. Mainly because if I was growing bored with it, I'm almost certain you guys were too.

Next chapter, Erin meets her first Autobot(s)!


	7. Chapter 6

Hide and Seek  
>Chapter 6<p>

* * *

><p>Warning: Violence and other oddities. Takes place during DotM, so there's going to be spoilers.<p>

* * *

><p>Watching in utter horror, Erin flinched as the brightly coloured robot grabbed the head of the crimson eyed beast. It gave a cry and tried to escape from its captor but couldn't; the girl unsure if it was because of the grasp of the other robot or maybe other damages to its form. She didn't get a chance to ponder the thought for the blue eyed one shot another hook from its other hand, which promptly attracted - and quite possibly went through - the neck of the wailing creature. Her hands clamped over her mouth to muffle a gasp as the body went limp and the noises stopped.<p>

The bright coloured robot ripped both hooks back and soon the body fell to the ground, the enemy's helm still grasped tightly in one of the alien's servos. It dropped the head and allowed it to roll before it stepped onto the body, hovering over it for mere seconds and then shoving its hand through the chest. It was horrifying to watch; maybe not as gruesome as a human's death but still a reminder of what these creatures could do. She remembered what the smaller robot, Laserbeak, had done to two adult humans and could only imagine what this one could do to her. It would be like stepping on an ant.

However, before she could linger on this thought for very long, another robot had shown up. It was a different model than the other she'd seen, although, just as large and held the same azure eyes as the other robot. She watched - between curiosity and fear - as it glanced at the corpse on the ground then looked back at the killer. It frowned, much to her surprise, and speak with slight annoyance: "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes," was the reply in what appeared to be an Italian accent. "You never know with those Decepticons. The slagger could have been playing dead!"

"Watch your language," the other one seemed to tease before turning its helm, giving the hiding girl a better look at it. "Besides, it's illogical that it could have been playing offline without its head."

There was no reply from the brightly coloured robot. It only turned its head and stared ahead, but only for a mere second before taking off in that direction. The remaining alien shook its helm and merely seemed to stand there, as if it didn't know whether or not to follow him. Erin only watched it, not entirely sure if she should make herself known. It truly didn't appear to be as aggressive as the other one and it did have the blue eyes that Carly had told her to go to.

Shifting, she went to slip back into her spot but had ended up knocking over one of the large cans behind her. It clang to the ground and startled both beings that remained; Erin ended up jumping from her hiding spot and the robot turning his large head towards the sound. There was an awkward moment between them before the alien turned its entire body towards the alley and lowered itself. "What do we have here?"

"Please don't hurt me," she whimpered and backed away, in slight panic at being caught.

"Hurt you," it echoed with surprise. "Why would I do something such as that? It would be unlawful and just downright rude!"

"But the others-"

"There is no time for that. We have to get you out of here," it replied as it's large hand extended down to her, a smile upon its faceplates. When she didn't move, mainly because she was still frightened, he shuttered his optics and added in a startled tone, "Oh! I understand now, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Wheeljack, but the humans call me Que. Who are you, little one?"

"Erin," she spoke, feeling an unnerving sense of calm now. She found herself moving towards it, trusting the gentle and truthfulness in its tone, but soon stopped down at a flash of colour. "Oh my God," she shouted and nearly ran back into her hiding place. "It's coming back! It's going to get me!"

"Wait, Erin," Wheeljack called out, nearly grabbing her but stopping himself as to not startle her.

Stopping, she turned, "It's-"

"What is this," a voice echoed from behind Wheeljack. "A human?"

"Her name is Erin," the other robot commented as the girl moved forward to get a better look, obviously she was still frightened of the giant. "Why don't you quit scaring her and introduce yourself?"

"We don't have time for this," he snorted in a distinct Italian accent. "Just get her to safety. I'll cover you." When neither moved - Wheeljack because he wanted his way, the girl because she was still frightened - the robot growled, then scanned the area. "The humans call me Dino."

"There we go," Wheeljack commented happily as he lowered his hand, "Come now, little one, we must be going!"

"Um," she whispered as she stepped closer to the giant's palm, unsure of what to do.

"Alternate Mode," the other Autobot spoke quickly. "You'll move faster and it will be safer, less frightening for the human."

"Very well," was the cheeky response.

Erin wasn't sure what was going on but as the robot began to, for lack of better words, fold itself into a different form, she couldn't help but gasp. It was unnerving to watch the pieces fall into place but what was the most frightening for her was what the robot turned into. She should have known, because Carly did tell her about her boyfriend's car, but it could possibly be the fact that it didn't look alien. Matter of fact, it looked vaguely like her father's vehicle and it was, for lacking of better words in the moment, creepy.

"Get in," the colourful robot stated for the other one, as the car door opened. "We don't have time for you to gawk at him."

"Wh-what," she yelped and turned her attention to the nearly smirking alien. Embarrassed due to that expression and her own actions, she swiftly climbed into the vehicle mode of the friendly alien. Once she was inside, the door closed and the seat belt strapped her in. "Wheeljack...?"

"Safety first," it - no, he, she was sure now thanks to the other robot - chuckled cheerfully before the engine revved. Then the tone of his voice, which had been coming from the speakers she realised, changed to one of seriousness. "You might want to close your eyes and hold on tight. I'm sure what you may see would disturb or frighten you, and that is not what I want."

"I want to keep them open," she spoke before she could think. "I'm not afraid. I know you and Dino won't let anything happen to me."

"Well if that's the case then why not tell Mirage that we're ready."

Confused, the girl questioned, "Mirage?"

"That is his real name," the speakers answered. "The humans call him Dino but Mirage is his translated name. I figured that since you enjoy calling me Wheeljack instead of Que, you'd be pleased to do the same."

"Oh," she whispered as the window rolled down, her head turned to it and noted that the brightly coloured Autobot was staring ahead. Taking a deep breath, she stuck her head out the window and called for him; "Mirage, we're ready whenever you are."

There was a moment of silence from the giant but then what sounded like a chuckle echoed. He nodded at the human girl and took off straight ahead, graceful yet fast. Wheeljack's engine revved and he sped off, burning rubber mind you, after the other Autobot. Erin squealed a bit as she was thrown back against the seat, her head whipping around to keep track of where they were going and where the brightly coloured robot was.

However, she wished she hadn't taken to watching him. He was truly vicious; ripping, tearing, slicing through enemies, he took no time to stop or speak. Erin realised, as she viewed him ramming the blade through the throat of a Decepticon, that this was truly war and he was nothing more than a warrior. She felt herself looking away in disgust - it may not have been humans but it was this being's own species - and it seemed that Wheeljack felt her discomfort and ill will.

"I warned you," the robot added, surprised when the girl turned her sights to the radio.

"I know but-" She paused when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Coming at them was a giant alien, silver and racing on wheeled feet, it lifted long bladed hands with mace in its movements. She tensed and pushed herself against the seat, screaming; "Wheeljack!"

"Erin, hold on!"

"Where's Mirage," she wailed as she searched, only to find him tied up. The protector was currently battling three Decepticons, two were close to coming down but the third seemed tougher. However, that wasn't the only thing she noticed; behind them, another giant was coming and looked equally as macing as the one in front. "Oh my god, do something!"

"I said hold on," he muttered and hit the breaks.

"What are you-" She watched in both awe and fear as the one in front leaped over top of the inventor. She turned quickly, just in time to see the silver robot land on the Decepticon that had been coming up behind them. The long blades sliced clean through the enemy, she was horrified as the sparking corpse fell to the street.

"Damn, I'm good," the silver robot spoke clear as day.

"What," she whispered, only to yelp a moment later when both the newcomer and Mirage stood beside the Autobot she was currently inside. She could hear them; clicks, beeps, echoes of what she could only guess was an ancient language that she didn't understand. Her heart pounded and she felt like screaming for the giant she'd befriended to quickly speed away, before anything else could happen, but she didn't get the chance to. The robotic vehicle sped off, tires squealing against the pavement, with Mirage soon following behind them while the other took off in another direction.

As her fingers clung to the sides of the inventor's seat, Erin couldn't help wanting to scream. She closed her eyes tightly and cursed herself for agreeing to get in the car - just what did she get herself into?

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thoughts? Considers? Constructive Criticism?

I do apologise for any mistakes because my mind is off in lala-land because of Halloween coming up. It's, obviously, my favourite holiday. Not to mention, my computer is literally having a spasm about staying connected to the internet.

I would like to thank the ones who have been reviewing, favouriting, alerting this fic. I love you guys for it. =)

In other news, this story is going to be ending soon. I may make a sequel as well. It all matters on the fans' wishes. I want you all to wait until the end to answer. ;] Probably only four to five chapters left.


	8. Chapter 7

Hide and Seek  
>Chapter 7<p>

* * *

><p>Warning: No violence in this chapter, but there are a few other oddities. Takes place during DotM, so there's going to be spoilers.<p>

* * *

><p>Stomach twisting and flip-flopping, Erin dug her fingernails into the seat and kept her eyes closed. Each sharp turn she couldn't stop herself from releasing a pathetic little noise of fear, she was sure that the being she was currently riding in had heard it as well. She trembled as she turned her head, resting it against the seat belt, and attempted selfishly to clear her mind of the destruction around her. Scared and confused, she could only think of what had happened days before and the last thing she'd said to her father.<p>

The two had gotten in a fight before she left the house. She had wanted to go half on a car with her father and told him that she wanted something nice, like the Mercedes in the garage. Obviously her father disagreed, saying that she needed something cheaper for her first car, and Erin had started a childish fight about how she never got what she wanted. She even included a statement about a puppy that she was denied of at the tender age of six before storming out of the house for her walk, which ultimately led to her kidnapping.

She vaguely remembered telling her father that she hated him, which was truly the last thing she wanted her father to recall during this mess. She wondered if he knew that wasn't truly the case and that she didn't mean what she said, that she did indeed love him. The thought that he didn't realise it caused her distress, she wanted to believe that he did but due to the fact they were never close, it was quite possible the former was the case.

However, that wasn't the only thing that unnerved and made the teenager want to cry. What if he wasn't even alive? What if their city had been hit like this one? What if, even with the help of these two robots, she didn't make it out alive to correct him? What if they never got to make up? What if-

"Erin."

She cracked an eye open and turned her half-lidded sight to the radio, "... yeah?"

"What's wrong," the voice questioned, seeming rather concerned. "If you're worried about what's going to happen to you, don't. Mirage and I will get you out of here safely, you don't need to-"

"It's not that," she whispered, pulling herself together enough to stroke his seat to reassure him. Both eyes now open, she attempted to give the robot a smile, "It's just me being a silly human."

"You know, do not think for a moment that we are superior to your race," the alien commented, his tone growing more concerned. "Your species is young and has much to learn, but that does not make them less than mine. Earthlings just need time to grow, to learn, and they just may surpass Cybertronians."

"You're just saying that," she replied, feeling all her worries melt away as the two began to discuss the topic. "You're far too advanced for even geniuses to catch up. I mean, we can even defend our planet-"

"Neither could we," Wheeljack added quietly, the face of the clock, on the radio, dimmed. "We aren't that different, Erin."

"Wait," she murmured, "what do you mean 'neither could we'? Those other robots, I swore I heard Dylan say something about them bringing the planet here! There has to be something left of it, something to be fixed, or they would just take over Earth and live on it!"

"They think there is something left, but there isn't. It's a hollow shell of what it used to be," he admitted whilst slowing down. Erin barely noticed that both of the aliens were indeed stopping, since the Autobot continued, "They don't want to believe its dead. They believe that if they put the humans to work, then they can rebuild and all will be well."

"I'm sorry, about Cybertron," she whispered uncomfortably. She fidgeted in her seat as the clock face lit up, signalling that all was well, and the passenger door opened. The seat belt, that had held her in, released and she was soon out of the car and staring up at the two robots that were - seemingly - trying to save her. She realised quickly that she couldn't understand the clicks, grinding sounds, and other noises they were sharing. This made the teen rather uncertain of the two, wondering if they were thinking about killing her - after all, why would they be having a private conservation?

* * *

><p><em>"The communications are blowing up, Wheeljack,"<em> he spoke grimly in their native tongue. _"We're needed. We can't keep playing sitter to an organic."_

_"We just need to get-"_

_"No, we don't have the time to get her to the city's border, like I know you had planned."_

_"What do you propose we do?"_

_ "If you're so attached the organic femme, then we can just hide her,"_ he answered whilst crossing his arms against his spark chamber. _"We can just come and get her when we finish this."_

_"What if we don't come back?" _

_"We will,"_ snapped the other. _"Just stay out of the way of the battle and you'll be fine."_

_"How do we explain this to her? She's just a youngling."_

_"The femme will understand."_

_"Fine,"_ the older mech seemed a bit unsettled about the situation. _"I'll tell her, if that's all right with you."_

_"Perfect."_

* * *

><p>She was a bit surprised when the red robot seemed to back off a bit and Wheeljack turned to her. She nearly ran when he bent down and held out a hand, motioning for her to climb up. Gathering all the courage she had left, she pulled herself up to his palm but almost yelped when she was eye to eye with one of his glowing optics. She chewed nervously on her bottom lip, unknown to her, her shoulders began to tremble. "Wh-what's wrong," she questioned.<p>

"We have run into a bit of a problem," he answered grimly. "It seems that the battle is taking a turn for the worse and we are needed to assist in saving your planet."

Confused, she whispered, "And..?"

"We cannot get you to the city lines just yet, so Mirage has come up with a way to keep you safe."

She could feel her heart speeding up, fearfully. "Which is?"

"We're going to hide you," he answered slowly. "Most of the Decepticons have been cleared out of this area, and if there are some still here, you can just stay out of their sights and you won't be found."

"You're going to.. leave me here?"

"Just for a little while," he added quickly. "We'll come back to take you home, I promise."

Despite the fear that had entered her mind upon the thought of being alone, she nodded. "Right, I'll be safe and you guys will be back before I know it."

"Exactly," he beamed and sat her back down on the ground. He scanned the area, she knew, before lifting one of his large hands and pointed at a flipped over school bus. "In there. Stay down and out of sight, understand?"

She nodded again, "Understood."

"Good femme," he chuckled whilst she started over, only to shutter his optics when she stopped. "Erin?"

"Mirage," she called out to the indifferent Autobot, who stood next to a nearby building. When she was sure she had his attention, she mustered up a smile and placed her hands on her hips, turning back to the two. "You keep a good eye on Wheeljack. You know how silly those smart guys can be."

There was a moment of silent before the glow of his optics brightened, he seemed to smirk, "I got it."

"Be careful yourself," she added whilst taking a deep breath, "And if you happen to see that big red bad guy, give him a kick in the face. Dylan too, but just step on him."

Wheeljack snickered, teasingly scowling her, "Erin."

"I'll make sure nothing is left of either of them," he replied to the human, motioning with his helm. "Now get in there and stay out of trouble."

"We'll be back before you know it!"

"Right," she replied and turned, quickly advancing to the bus. She spared a glance over her shoulder as she climbed in through the broken door, finding herself watching as the two transformed and took off down the destroyed street. Whatever safety she felt before had disappeared as she sat carefully on the vehicle's ceiling, mindful of the glass the was scattered from the shattered windows. Here she would wait for her saviour's return, although, she didn't quite know how much trouble was just right around the corner.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thoughts? Considers? Constructive Criticism?

Apologies for the lateness of this chapter, it was finished in November but it was never posted because my new puppy chewed my laptop cord. I've been waiting nearly a month for this thing to arrive so I could post this, then I finally broke down and pulled out a six year old desktop, which freezes all the time. So here's your new chapter. I tried to fix any mistakes in the writing but, sadly, I'm not sure if they were all caught or if they even saved.

I bet you all know what the next chapter is going to be. Which is going to make me sad because I still don't want to admit that it happened. No matter, I think I can handle writing it because I have plans! Oh, the plots that enter my head. I'm surprised anyone can follow them. Then again, they might be better once written, less jumbled.

Gee, sorry about rambling!


	9. Chapter 8

Hide and Seek  
>Chapter 8<p>

* * *

><p>Warning: There's character death, and you all should know which one it is because it is canon. Although the scene is also a bit different, maybe a bit more realistic. Takes place during DotM, so there's going to be spoilers. (Do I really need to keep posting that part of the warning?)<p>

* * *

><p>Sitting there on the ceiling of the overturned bus, Erin blinked rapidly in an attempt to keep herself awake. The noises of the battle seemed to drift away and her mind wanted nothing more than to flick off, slipping her into a slumber that nothing could wake her out of. She idly wondered if it had anything to do with the medication that Carly had given her at the flat, but a naive little reminder told her that the effects should have happened before this moment.<p>

She shifted in her spot and attempted to listen to herself breathe, taking deep breathes in and out to calm herself. She hugged her knees tighter and rested her cheek on them, head turned slightly and staring out the small window to her left. As she fought the sleep, her sight blurred and cleared periodically. It was only a few moments in that position that she taught something through unclear vision.

She bolted upward and nearly smacked her head against one of the upside down seats. Blond hair, she swore she'd seen it and a part of her hoped that it had been Carly. With unbalanced movements, she stumbled over to the side and knelt down, glass nipping at her flesh. She was just about to shout and reach through the window when something happened.

The earth shook under the massive weight of the robot's landing, she could hear her friend and another voice shouting. The vibrational alone was enough to knock the teenager back and her head to smack against the thick metal of the ceiling. Yelping at the impact, she brought her hands up to cradle her head. The voices were blocked out by throbbing of her skull and the buzzing in her ears.

It happened so fast that she hardly had time to react. Figures had appeared, she soon found a petite hand shooting out and grabbing her arm. She was pulled to her feet, only to be pushed back down as a sharp blade sliced through the bus, cutting it in half. She looked up as it fell apart, the two figures trying to pull her out - so many voices, two human and one coming from the creature above - but she couldn't move.

She stared up in fear into bright red optics. The same ones that had been peering through the window, she could tell from the armour that the robot was sporting. She choked back a gasp and tried to move, but the creature was too frightening in all of its greatness, it towered over her and snarled.

"Erin," Carly's voice finally broke through. "Move it!"

"Car-" She was tugged from the bus and shocked when the creature's head whipped upward to follow her movements. "What is-"

"No time," the guy, Erin figured it was Sam, broke in hastily.

Before anything else could be said, Erin was pushed once again and she found herself on the ground. It was happening quickly, she pressed herself against the wall in an attempt to stay out the raging Decepticon's way. She covered her ears as it screeched angrily and everything became a blur of movements.

It flew upward and released another screech, then something happened. It dove back down, screaming in a language that she didn't understand. The flier landed near her, one glowing red optic stared at her and then it smacked its helm against the ground. She cringed as it forcefully ground the top of its helm against the street, sparks flying and its voice crying out in agony.

She screamed out, her words were even unknown to her and it was in no time at all that the creature stopped its vicious attack on itself. Her eyes widened as it dove at her, almost seeming to be pleading for the 'slave' to assist him, but before she could even see what was wrong with the alien, it took off into the skies again.

Stumbling to her feet, she ran to see what was happening. Then, before she could even see anything, there was an explosion that knocked her off her feet yet again. Parts of the alien flew and an arm nearly hit her tiny frame. She screamed as half of its head rolled over to her, and she was quickly moving backwards out of the way.

A sobbing mess, Erin brought her knees to her chest and buried her face into the fabric of her clothing. She'd seen the Autobots she'd been with kill Decepticons, but those moments were quick and seemingly painless. What she had just witnessed was nothing of the sort and it made her stomach clench. That alien had been in pain, his shrills of agony proof enough, and it had went on for too long, for her liking.

"Erin, we have to go," Carly's voice broke through to her.

She hardly looked up, "No..."

"Listen, girl, Erin, whatever," Sam spoke quickly, "We can't stay here. We have to go, like, now."

"I can't," she whispered as she pulled her legs closer to her body. "I have to wait here."

"What's going on," a voice asked. "Who's that?"

"Friend of Carly's, long story, no time," Sam nearly ranted.

Carly rolled her eyes, "Shut up."

"We can't stay here, get up," Sam added, ignoring his girlfriend.

"I can't," she snapped and lifted her head. She was surprised by the new human figure and a blue eyed robot, yellow in colour. "I-I have to stay here."

_"Get up, get movin',"_ the yellow bot added, broken words and played by different voice.

"I can't, I won't," she replied sternly, pulling herself onto shaky legs. "I promised that I would stay here. I won't break that promise."

There was a silence that followed, before the nameless man spoke, "You can't stay here, we can't stay here. It's too dangerous. We have to leave right now."

"You guys must have brought him because it was safe here until you came along," she replied harshly, glaring at the woman and man next to her. "Mirage made sure of it!"

At the name of his brother in arms, the group's robot perked up a bit. It stared at her with wide blue optics and its head tilted to the side, as if it didn't understand what she was saying. Or maybe it did but didn't want to believe it. Either way, the other humans were still arguing but her focus was on how the alien's eyes dimmed and it seemed to have distanced itself.

* * *

><p><em>Incoming transmittance from Bumblebee. Accept or Deny? Accepted. <em>

_ "What is it, 'Bee? I'm a bit easy here." _

_"Erin."_

_"... What happened?"_

_"So you know her?"_

_"Affirmative. Now what the frag happened to her?" _

_"Nothing." _

_Communication line disconnected._

* * *

><p>Wheeljack, sensing the distressed field of his companion, turned his helm with an inquisitive expression. The other Autobot grunted in response before turning and taking off in the direction that they had left their human. The inventor's processor froze for a moment, realising that something must have happened to her.<p>

"Mirage," he called out before taking off after the noble. "What's wrong?"

"Bumblebee called about Erin," he answered swiftly as he sliced through a drone that happened to be in his way. "I think something-"

"If she's with him, she's fine."

Mirage stopped dead and turned his head, staring at the inventor in surprise. "What?"

"If Erin is with Bumblebee there is nothing to worry about," Wheeljack repeated himself slowly. "We'll return to her, but right now we need to help in the field."

Mirage nodded slowly, "Right..."

"Come on now," he responded cheerfully. "We have a world to save."

* * *

><p>"You have to come with us or you'll die," the soldier, who Erin had learned was named William Lennox, argued along side the other two. "Come on-"<p>

_"Let's go,"_ the yellow vehicle's radio spoke brokenly as he transformed. The last bit fell into place and he opened his doors for the humans. _"Leave the - girl - behind. Safe."_

"What," Sam blinked, surprised like the others.

"Come on - let's rock n' roll."

After a bit of bargaining, the two men had gotten into the car but Carly seemed to linger at the passenger door. Erin stood tall and proud as the two females stared at one another - one seeming to ask if she would be safe, and the other confirming it. The blond slowly nodded and smiled softly, "See you in a few?"

"Yeah," Erin returned the nod, smiling meekly. Despite only knowing the other girl for a few hours at the least, she didn't want to see her go but was forced to watch as she climbed in the car. With a few flashes of the headlights, Bumblebee took off into the city and left the teen standing next to the building. "Be careful..."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thoughts? Constructive Criticism?

Can you believe that I finally got my cord today? It's only five or so days late, technically later than that because of the time that I ordered it, but at least it got here. Anyway, I promised myself that I wouldn't waste your time ranting about that.

I figured that since I started writing this today that I wouldn't have it up until tomorrow. I had thought that, like all the other chapters, it would take at least two days to write. However, once I started writing (I think, because this chapter is very canon worthy) it just kept flowing. I even have the next chapter almost complete as well.

Can you believe it? There's only going to be two more chapters left. I'm dreading it, if I can be honest. Mainly because this is my baby, given that it's probably not the best written thing ever and there are a lot of things that I could have done differently to make it better, but it's my baby.

Well, not going to ramble too much. I just want to inform you all that I'm hoping to have the next chapter up sometime tomorrow, or Hell, maybe even sooner than that. I'm not entirely sure yet.


	10. Chapter 9

Hide and Seek  
>Chapter 8<p>

* * *

><p>Warning: There's character death, slight out of character characters, and alternate scenes. Also, there is very little of the original character in this chapter and it focuses more on the robots. Italics mean Cybertronian translations.<p>

* * *

><p>The sound of metal meeting the street echoed through the battlefield, he growled angrily as he struggled against the Decepticon that held him. His arms were twisted at an odd angle, even for their kind, and were pressed against his back. His enemy – he believed it to be Soundwave, just from the grip – taunted him before shoving his helm to the roadway with his foot. He hissed and growled, cursing in Cybertronian, and attempted to pull himself out of this mess.<p>

When that failed, he turned his head to ignore the taunts and stared directly at an equally captured Wheeljack. Angered by the thought of his friend's capture, he cursed Primus for the inventor not listening to his orders to run. The other mech was not made for battle, in his optics, and should have just fled back to the organic femme. It was eerie though, he remembered that this same Autobot had questioned if they were going to make it back. It looked like the crimson bot had been wrong; they were in quite a pickle and things just weren't looking good right about now.

_"Lord Megatron is going to like our gifts,"_ one of the Decepticons – Barricade, Mirage remembered that annoying voice anywhere – snickered as he lowered his frame and grasped the inventor's head. Mirage didn't even realise that he hissed and attempted to lunge forward until the one that held him corrected the mistake, with a talon to piercing his shoulder. The 'con cackled, _"Oh, that one's feisty."_

_"Barricade wishes to trade,"_ the sinister voice of Soundwave replied.

_"No, this one has a higher price on his helm,"_ the other responded equally as dark. _"The Lord will want this one more than that pathetic warrior."_

_"You won't get away with this,"_ Wheeljack echoed, catching all three off guard – this included Mirage. _"The Autobots-"_

_"Are here,"_ Barricade snarled before a smirk crept onto his faceplates.

Mirage was confused. Until his helm was forcefully turned to the left, showing him exactly what the Decepticon had been speaking of. His tanks wanted to empty at the sight of his companions being dragged towards them. Sideswipe fought viciously against the drone that held him, only to have the bunt end of a weapon meet the back of his helm. He was on his knees in moments and shaking his head, the other two new captives – Bumblebee and Ratchet – struggled against their own captors.

When the bladed mech's optics flickered, the red Autobot attempted to fight against Soundwave and was soon lashed out upon again. A talon dug deeper into his circuitry, the giant that hovered above him cackled at the injured grunt that would have been a scream if Mirage hadn't denied its exit. This was wrong, he knew, but there was nothing that could be done. Optimus was missing and they were all going to be slaves to the warlord. Could it get any worse? He really didn't want to think about it, so he locked optics with the inventor, who looked equally as disturbed as he imagined he did.

* * *

><p>Sitting on the cold ground, Erin wasn't sure how long it'd been since she was abandoned. She knew it had to be hours ago, since the dust of the previous battle had settled on the scattered corpse of the flier. She'd been staring at this carcass since her friend had left, waiting for it to move or react to the battle that raged around them. However, it didn't because, unlike her, it was dead. It's death miserable and it had been without its friends or family – if they had anything like that. It had been alone, just like how she thought she'd die in that flat hours before.<p>

Scrambling to her feet, she cautiously made her way over the cold, metal corpse. She frowned once she was close enough to actually view it, disturbed by the thick lines that were deep within the armour. She knew these were not fresh from the battle or the fall – although, there were some that fit into that thought – due to the paint that covered them. She hadn't remembered seeing any of the sorts on her alien friends – should she call them that, did it matter? – and wondered about the poor soul that laid in front of her.

Filthy hands brushed at the dust that had collected, she noted how some of the – for lack of better words – scars were covered, or at least attempted to be, with symbolic tattoos. She couldn't understand them but she was not naïve, this was a warrior and it probably obtained them for a reason. She could almost sympathize with the creature, if it hadn't been on the other side of the battlefield and trying to destroy humanity. She idly wondered if that made her a horrible person for not even trying to understand. Or even if it mattered.

This thought brought more – had it wanted to fight? Did it have a choice in the matter? What had the creature been like before the war? Did it truly change? A part of her wanted to know but another denied all of these things. Mainly because she didn't want to think about it, these were the horrible doers and they needed to be killed. Yet, did it really?

Annoyed with herself, she turned on her heels and advanced to the alley. She was confused, lost, and just wanted to chase the thoughts away. Out of sight, out of mind, her father used to tell her. She remembered that line as she stopped an open door to one of the building and entered it, knowing that she couldn't continue to stand around outside. She couldn't be spotted and just lingering out in the open would cause such a thing. Gently closing the door behind her, she leaned against the wall – where were they?

* * *

><p>"Prisoners? You're taking prisoners?"<p>

"Yesss."

"You need teach them about respect. This was all business, but now it's personal, do you understand me?"

"I understand. No prisoners, only trophies!"

* * *

><p>Cringing, the Autobot turned his azure optics from the Decepticon and human to his captive companions. He'd been fighting Decepticons long enough to know if you weren't a prisoner, you were offlined, and the cackle that echoed from Soundwave confirmed it. He knew the others were grabbing at straws now: praying to Primus, trying to escape their handlers, to name a few. Mirage wasn't stupid. He knew in that moment that the Autobots luck had run out and that it was all over.<p>

When he heard his friend speaking, he turned his helm to the older mech. As soon as his optics rested on him, they brightened and swirled, noticing the Decepticon that was making his way over to the inventor from behind. He tried to struggle against the drone that now held him, anything to stop what was about to happen, and when the drone whipped their hand against his helm, he knew it was over. He tried to focus on his companion and murmured in their native tongue: _"Wheeljack, I'm sorry."_

"Wha-"

Painfully, he turned his helm away from the scene as the inventor was blasted. There was a choked inquiry and then another blast, the red Autobot could feel the scientist's field fading away. The spark was disappearing and soon there was nothing, leaving the younger Autobot with a realisation that his friend was now offline. A cold, numbing feeling enter his spark at the laughter that filled the air, the Decepticon moving onto the next and he couldn't bear to look. He hoped it was himself, but listening to the echoing footsteps he knew he wasn't.

He heard the blaster load and Soundwave cackling. He knew what was going to happen next so he waited, whatever Autobot the 'con had in his sights would soon join Wheeljack – they all would. His previous thoughts were confirmed – they'd run out of luck, Primus was no longer with them on this strange planet. They'd been lucky so far and barely made it out time and time again. He had always guessed that it was only time before they lost everything and Mirage knew this was it. The Decepticons would win, just like that traitor said.

However, just as that trigger would have been pulled, something happened. It rocked the earth below and Mirage snapped his helm up in time to see their captors distracted. With Wheeljack's death fresh in his processor, he pulled himself free of the startled drone and within moments a corpse was all that remained. Sparking and greying, he turned and was greeted by an equally free Sideswipe. They barely even spared much of a glance before the two raced off, promising revenge in their wake.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thoughts? Constructive Criticism?

Okay, I kind of got carried away with this chapter so I had to break it up into two parts for it even to make a lick of sense. Even now I think it jumped around too much, but it's much better than the original piece that I was going to post. Sorry for that.

Now, since I am posting this chapter into two different parts, this also means that you're getting two more chapters after this one. The second part and the finale. Included with the finale will be a small piece in the Author's Note giving a summary of a possible sequel. It is then that I want to know if you guys want to green light it or not.

In addition, my MOTHER proof read this. She did it on her own and gave highlights to what I did wrong and a note on how to improve it. I was embarrassed that she read it but she got a good laugh at it. Ugh. Shoot me now?


	11. Chapter 10

Hide and Seek  
>Chapter 10<p>

**x-x-x-x**

Warning: There's character death, slight out of character characters, and alternate scenes. Also, there is very little of the original character in this chapter and it focuses more on the robots. Italics mean Cybertronian translations.

**x-x-x-x**

It was a blur for the Autobot, he quickly sliced his way through the drones that had attempted to come to the rescue of their superiors. He felt so angry that he barely noticed that he nearly took down one of his own in the massacre, one of the wreckers from the sounds of it, and now had his sights locked on the traitorous Prime. He nearly missed the silver mech that wheeled over to him, blades drawn and ready to strike the crimson down, but his body moved on its own accord.

He joined his fellow Autobot and lashed out, his own blades - that dripped with energon of those he had slaughtered – sparked as they collided with his enemy's thick armour. Even he knew that he didn't stand much of a chance but that didn't stop him. However, what did was a powerful blow to his torso, which flung him effortlessly to the left and into one of the many buildings that barely remained standing. He didn't so much as flinch at the impact, but still struggled to his feet and attempted to ignore the warning symbols that blazed across his vision.

Locking his optics onto the target yet again, he aimed one of his weapons as Sideswipe distracted him – he was sure that Bumblebee was there, but couldn't really tell for sure with all the movement. He lunched forward and swung the mighty blades attached to his forearms, sparks flew as his weapons met Sentinel's deadly Primax Blade. For a brief moment, he met the oh-so-familiar azure optics of his now empty and he hesitated. It was that hesitation that gave the Prime an advantage.

With a blow to his helm, Mirage stumbled backward and witnessed the enemy deliver a blow to one of the Autobots that had been attempting to help him. He struggled to lift his blades but soon there was another attack on the crimson warrior, to his torso once again, and he was thrown back. He could feel his armour cracking against the road, leaving indents into the thick structure, and within no time he had come to a stop against another building. It swayed against his weight but seemed to refuse to fall like its brethren.

Static filled his audios and visuals; he could feel pain exploding through him and energon slipping forth from some broken fuel line. His cooling fans spurred to life in an attempt to cool down the overworking systems. He couldn't move and he didn't know what was going on around him. Everything seemed so distant; no matter how much he struggled he wasn't going anywhere. He tried to read the symbols that tried to flash through the static but couldn't make out a single word, and it was then that he realised that he was going into stasis lock.

His agony filled field connected with another, one that pressed forth through the battle and towards him. He could feel gentle touches soon after, reassurance meeting his aura and tickling at it, begging him to shut down for the moment and save himself from more pain that would surely follow. He knew this mech, knew he could trust him, and slowly found himself obey the pled – the warrior shut down.

**x-x-x-x**_  
><em>

_"Cybertron… you are saved at last,"_ the mighty Decepticon leader grumbled as he rested in the alley. His systems were struggling to keep up with his needs but none of that mattered; everything that he had worked for had happened, everything would be better now. And just as he was going to offline his optics to bask in this glory, he noticed something. Turning his helm, the tyrant murmured, "Oh, have you come to surrender?"

"Was it all worth it?"

"Obviously," he gave a sneer that rivalled his former second-in-command.

"All your work to bring Sentinel back, and now clearly he has all the power," she taunted him and he knew it. "It's actually almost tragic!"

He snarled, "You dare lecture me, Slave?"

"Your Decepticons finally conquering this planet and yet their leader won't be you!"

"It will be me," he snapped. "It will always be me!"

The human actually smirked up at him, reminding him vaguely of that troublesome second, "Any minute now you'll be nothing but Sentinel's bitch!"

It was not she that he heard the voice of, but his traitorous second in command. Those words were spoken with such emotion and grace that it could be no other. The field that he was barely picking up from the tiny blond reminded him, taunted him, even though he knew the seeker was dead. None of that mattered; Starscream, the glitch that he was, was taunted him and he would not stand for this – he would prove to him that he was fair better than those Primes and the flier. He stood with a snarl, casting a threatening gaze over the human before he began a hunt like no other.

**x-x-x-x**

With his systems rebooting, the crimson Autobot found himself in less pain and the warning signals were gone. He onlined his optic sensors and gave his surroundings a glance, static tickling at the corners of his vision. He took notice to the scowling medic and offered a smirk, as if to tell the older mech that all was well now. Obviously the repairer was less than happy about the noble's injury and let him know. _"You're a glitch, Mirage."_

_"Battle status,"_ questioned the warrior as he ignored the statement about his stupidity.

_"Nearly over, I figure,"_ he answered. _"Get up, we need to get back… we need to finish this."_

_"You don't need to tell me twice,"_ he replied as he stood, summoning forth his sharp blades.

**x-x-x-x**_  
><em>

_"Now, we need a truce. All I want is to be back in charge. Besides, who would you be without me, Prime?"_

_"Time to find out!"_

**x-x-x-x**

Standing before his brethren, Mirage felt a sinking feeling in his tanks. None of this seemed right in the slightest; too much death, too much destruction, some hope restored while the rest lost. There was a blazing pain in his processor and he just wanted to curl up somewhere and recharge, but his sights set on the humans that were cheering. Bumblebee's charge and the human's mate were now reunited. He knew in that moment that he needed to leave and complete a promise made before.

He found himself locking gazes with the silver mech known as Sideswipe as he turned to leave. He paused in his movement before the other alien nodded slowly, and then he was off. Transforming into his vehicle mode three steps into his fleeing, he made no motion to slow down and not caring if anyone saw him. They didn't, no one cared where the newcomer was going or even noticed that he was ripping down the destroyed highway.

_"Don't worry,"_ he commented to the organic femme that was nowhere in sight, yet of course, _"I'm coming."_

**x-x-x-x**

"Oooh, rings," Carly smiled as she picked a sprocket up. Soon the yellow Autobot began playing wedding chimes, causing her to laugh and her boyfriend to nearly cringe. She added, "I love this car!"

"Yeah, but Bee, you gotta slow it down. You gotta slow way down, okay," the boy almost whined at the giant alien.

He spoke, through his radio, "I'm just trying to help out."

**x-x-x-x**

Transforming into his more humanoid appearance, the noble was nearly floored by the scene that lay before him. The hiding place – a location chosen for its safety no less – was ripped apart, slice in half in a rather familiar way. He scanned the area hastily, trying to spot the little organic femme that he'd left behind. His tanks wanted to empty, he could feel them turning, as he found no sign of the child that his friend had found. All he could see was destruction; flames licking at the skies hungrily, smoke blocking the sunlight from entering the city, among other things.

"Femme," he choked out of burning vocals and he cringed. He didn't sound like himself; he could sense it, but refuse to think about it. He just stepped forward and called out again, having remembered her name, "Erin?"

There was no reply and a part of him wanted to flee in that moment, but he couldn't. It happened so suddenly; he seemed heavily than he had before, a burning sensation crept to where his wounds had been – before Ratchet's quick patch job. He had failed his friend more than once: he couldn't protect the inventor and he died, and now he couldn't even return the organic femme to her home because he lost her. He knew that the older Autobot would be ashamed of him, and nothing hurt him more than that.

Unexpectedly, he crashed onto his knees with the ground trembling under his massive weight. The ruined buildings around him groaned and swayed but none gave up their proud stand, unlike the Autobot himself. He gave another shout, in his native tongue this time, and the words that came out he wasn't even sure of. The weight of everything was crashing around him and his systems were not handling the stress well at all; things were just moving too fast.

And just when he was going to allow his systems to crash or freeze, just until everything caught up, he noticed something out of the corner of his sight. His helm turned swiftly, the feel of fleshy hand on his massive thumb echoed through his sensors, and he was soon staring down at a tiny organic femme. No, not just any femme, he reali0sed in that moment; it was her. It was none other than one that he promised to get to safety along side his now offlined friend.

"Erin," he questioned despite himself. He needed to make sure that this wasn't some cruel joke from Primus.

"Mirage," she replied slowly, cautious of the giant and his current state. "Are-Are you alright?"

He nodded, "I'm fine."

"Is it over? Did we win," she questioned and he nodded yet again. She peered around his massive form and scanned the area, Mirage knew what she was looking for and what she was not going to find there. Her expression twisted with concern as she glanced up at him. "Where's Wheeljack?"

"He's dead," was the monotone answer given. He didn't have to look down at her to see the tears forming in her eyes, the way her aura bounced was a dead give away. "They're dead too though – the Decepticons, their human ally and the Autobot traitor as well."

"Oh."

Mirage cringed, "I will take you home now."

"Thank you," she whispered and nodded slowly.

"No need," he replied dully as he stood on shaken legs. He stepped back and soon was back to his other form, to which he opened the door for her in. No words were spoken as she climbed into the vehicle but he did automatically close the door once she was inside and safe. He could feel her gently stroking the door and knew what the organic was attempting to do, however, he still ignored it and the engine fired. The pair drove from the city that was left in ruins and between abandoned vehicles that lined the roads in utter silence.

****x-x-x-x**  
><strong>

**Author's Note:** Thoughts? Constructive Criticism?

Next chapter and this fiction is finally complete. I almost don't want it to end but eh, it has to. I realised that these last two chapters seemed to linger on the robots more than anything, but it's the way I like it. I'm not sure what's been going through my head lately but I'm really getting in the mood to write from their prospective. Even the last one (which is almost finished) is written the same way.

Also, I'm kind of sorry if I misquoted the film and what not. Not to mention, that piece with Megatron and Carly seems to be leaning towards some sort of Megatron/Starscream thing. I didn't realise that until my mother pointed it out (her and her obsession with proof reading for me), then I tried to rewrite it but God, I just couldn't. I hope what I wanted to come out of the scene did, but if you have any questions, I'll answer them.

I was just informed by my mother, that she just checked for spelling errors and nothing else. So, I'm sorry for any mistakes. I'm just too scattered right now to do it by myself, and the person who volunteered to beta this is currently out of town.

The next (and last chapter) is going to tie everything up and included an idea for a sequel. If you like it, I'll green light and begin posting since I already have a few chapters complete.

In addition, sorry about the weird page breaks. The lines weren't working for some unknown reason, so I went with that instead.


End file.
